Start a Concierge Business
A concierge business is a small business venture that provides personal errand services to corporate and non-corporate clients. A concierge service can have one self-employed person handling all requests, or consist of a group of concierge professionals who specialize in dealing with particular clients.
Steps
- Find out the legalities of starting a concierge business. Every state or region is different in how it governs the startup of new businesses, so speak with your local chamber of commerce or small business association about how to start a concierge business before investing any money. Some common things you need to discuss are:
- Which type of business license will you need for your business? Most concierge service businesses are small businesses, with some being run out of a home office. You may need more than one license if running a business from your home.
- What type of insurance will you need to carry? You will need to find out about personal liability insurance and business insurance.
- Should you hire employees or independent contractors, and what are the current employment laws? Hiring employees may obligate you to pay taxes and provide time off and sick leave. Using independent contractors releases you from much of that responsibility, since independent contractors aren't considered employees of your company. Your small business association will be able to answer your legal questions regarding the business.
- Research competing businesses and find out which area is lacking services. If there are a lot of corporate concierge services in your area, consider catering to a different demographic, such as work at home professionals or busy families. While many concierge businesses cater to a variety of needs, others like to focus on particular niches. Some niche areas include:
- Travel reservations and destination suggestions. This includes booking hotels, cruises, extended vacations, professional travel and possibly creating an agenda and scheduling all activities for the trip.
- Pet care services, such as pet sitting, grooming, walking and scheduling appointments for the veterinarian or training classes.
- Gift services, such as buying gifts for friends and family members, suggesting gifts for certain occasions and keeping up to date on the trendiest gifts on the market.
- Shopping services for groceries, clothes and other personal needs. Some concierge businesses will even offer chef services or food preparation services.
- Contact agencies and venues you think you will use frequently for your clients. Let the agencies and venues know you're starting a concierge service and find out if they will offer you reduced pricing or unique services when using their business for a client.
- Make a database of reputable companies you can use for your concierge services. Make a note if the contact will offer special pricing or unique services for your clients.
- Determine the location of your new business. If running a small concierge service, you can create a home office and run it out of your home. If hiring numerous people to help you, a leased business space will offer the room you need.
- Create a marketing plan and implement your strategies. You should advertise directly to your intended market through direct mail. Depending on your marketing budget, you may also want to place print ads in newspapers, magazines and online.
- Design a business plan that outlines the ultimate goals of your concierge business. This is the area where you will write down your financial goals and how and when you expect to meet those goals.
- Speak with the small business association or a small business lender if you're having trouble funding the business. Since this type of business is essentially running errands, the startup costs shouldn't be too high. Once funding is complete, you can start operating as a professional concierge.
- Join a professional association. Such as the International Concierge and Lifestyle Management Association at www.ICLMA.org.
- Take a Course or buy a book. There are several good books about how to start a concierge business. All can be found on Amazon.com. Three good ones are The Concierge Manual by Katharine Giovanni, Keys to Starting and Operating a Successful Concierge Service, and Entrepreneur Magazines Concierge Start up Guide.
Things You'll Need
- Business license
- Business insurance
- Location for business
- Business and marketing plans
